Trailblazing Newsletter - Fall 2018

FALL 2018

The newsletter of Josh McDowell Ministry

INSIDE Page 2 Stories of REDEMPTION and HOPE in Jesus!

Page 3 A gift from Siberia Page 4 Share the gospel in Russia with your gift

“Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly — not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.” — 1 Peter 5:2 (NLT)

Men in a rehabilitation center in Siberia learn of God’s redemptive love and healing by watching Undaunted.

Sharing the gospel’s message of love and redemption How your support is sharing Josh’s story of transformation in Russia

Undaunted: The Early Life of Josh McDowell is the riveting story of a young man who set out to prove God doesn’t exist.

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Deeply broken by a dysfunctional upbringing, Josh was overwhelmed by the shame caused by his father’s violent alcoholism and sexual abuse at the hands of a trusted caregiver. That shame turned into anger, resentment and unforgiveness.

It led Josh to become an agnostic who set out to disprove Christianity.

As a partner in this ministry, you know how the story ends. Josh proved just the opposite: God IS who He says He is. But so many don’t yet know the truth. And that’s why your support is such a blessing.

A heart for Russia

Undaunted has been viewed by millions

KEEP READING

to see how your gift today will bring healing, help and hope to people in Russia. >>>>

These men and women have seen life’s worst. But God’s love is helping them overcome adversity. Thanks to you!

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truth of Jesus and His redemptive love with those struggling to overcome deep hurt, past trauma and even life-controlling addictions.

Their goal is to help other Russians come face to face with God’s transforming power and be healed so they can be productive citizens AND active witnesses to the saving grace of Jesus.

Common ground with Josh

Russian men and women are finding the road to healing through Undaunted, the story of Josh McDowell’s dramatic spiritual transformation.

Thanks to your prayers and financial support, so many have written to tell us how Undaunted has impacted them. And you see a common thread throughout their letters, as they identify with Josh’s early struggle to overcome the deep hurt and confusion that set him on the wrong road in life.

worldwide since its release in 2012. The film is even being used to bring healing and transformation to men and women in rehabilitation centers all across Russia, a land where a shocking number of people have seen their lives destroyed by drugs and alcohol.

Your support has already helped to reach millions of people in Russia and around the world with Christian resources like Undaunted. But this troubled nation is facing a genuine crisis of addiction that can only be addressed by redemption in Jesus.

Since Josh first began ministering in Russia in the early 1990s, he has worked extensively with in-country partners. They’re using Undaunted and other Christcentered resources widely and effectively to share the

Will you stand with Josh and share in this challenge to reach even more people in Russia with the gospel?

A gift from Siberia During a visit to Russia, writer and former missionary Debby Thompson was given a gift she’ll never forget. Here’s what happened when a Siberian colleague presented Debby with a translation of Josh’s book More Than a Carpenter.

It wasn’t until she’d studied its pages for a moment that she realized exactly what it was: a copy of the book, typed during the dark days of Communist persecution and cleverly hidden within a handmade cover designed to conceal its true contents. Speechless, she realized that someone had risked their life to translate and type the book.

“This clandestine translation of Josh’s book,” she says, “was a monument to the untold darkness and suffering for the church.”

Josh’s book: More Than a Carpenter in Russian

Our world takes a book like this for granted. You can buy it at any Christian bookstore. But during the Cold War, Russian believers were imprisoned, tortured and even executed for having Christian books.

Still today, she says, whenever she looks at the book, she remembers the unknown Russian pilgrims in the frozen fields of Siberia. And she remembers God’s Word: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33, KJV)

Stories of REDEMPTION and HOPE in Jesus!

Here are just a few of the many, many letters we have received from people all across Russia who have found healing, redemption and new direction in life through Undaunted:

“Having watched Undaunted, the movie reminded me of my youth. My father also drank and beat my mother, me and my brother. I hated him. But I think that after watching the movie, I would also be able to tell my father now that I love him. Because God is love. He will change my life too!” — Oleg “I have been drinking for a long time. God found me and brought me to the rehab center in Kemerovo, Siberia. Here I saw the movie Undaunted. Like Josh, I hated my father. After the film, I realized that I should let go of anger for my father, who is already dead. Now I see that God has started His work in my life. I no longer feel hatred and blame.”

— Anton “I watched the movie Undaunted. I was surprised to notice some similarities to my life. My father started to drink, and I was left alone. Then I tried drugs at the age of 15 and completely destroyed my life. This film has strengthened my faith. I did not believe my life could change, but now I have hope. At the end of the film when Josh prayed a prayer of repentance, I repeated after him, because I want the Lord Jesus to become the Master of my life.”

— Vladislav “I saw the film Undaunted in this rehab center. I was touched by how Josh tried to prevent his father from beating his mother. When I was drinking, I was doing crazy things. I was trying to hang myself. I was trying to strangle my daughter. But this is all in my past. I want to reconcile with my children and live a normal life.”

— Galina

h From Jos

Bring help, healing and hope to desperate Russians In just a few weeks, I’ll be heading to Russia. My mission is to meet with our field partners and other Christian leaders there to bring them reliable teaching from God’s Word, build them up and support their ministries.

I also want to help by providing what they cannot get elsewhere: Christian resources they can use to share the gospel with their countrymen.

My biography on film, called Undaunted, is just one of the resources we want to provide. Our partners tell us the film is ideal for a wide variety of outreaches — witnessing, discipleship, small groups, youth ministry and more.

With Undaunted, I share my story, raw and unvarnished, knowing that so many people have experienced the same kind of difficult upbringing I did. More than anything, I want to see God use that message to bring people in Russia to faith.

I’m hoping to share 60,000 Christcentered resources. But we’ll need your help to make it happen. I hope you’ll join me by giving generously now. Your support is the key. Thank you in advance!

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SHARE the gospel in Russia

The need is so great. Won’t YOU help now?

Our field partners and other ministry leaders desperately need high-quality Christian resources, translated into Russian, for evangelism and discipleship.

We have requests for 60,000 Christ-centered books, DVDs and other resources, translated into the Russian language.

Won’t you give now to help reach men, women and teens all across Russia with the truth about Jesus? You’ll provide trustworthy resources where they’re urgently needed, especially in Christian rehabilitation centers where lives are being transformed daily in His name.

Your gift will bring the truth about Jesus to people in Russia who need to hear.

People across Russia are requesting Christ-centered resources.

“Christian resources and films are the two best ways to reach Russia.”

— Josh

Please send a generous gift TODAY to share the truth of Jesus to people in Russia through Christ-centered books, DVDs, and other resources.

THREE EASY WAYS TO GIVE NOW Give by mail: Return your gift with the enclosed reply form in the envelope provided.

Give by telephone: You can also give your gift by calling 1-855-833-6897.

Give online: Make an immediate impact by giving securely on our website at give.cru.org/JoshRussia